Pray Tree 2022 (프레이 트리)

그림 작가인 니카님이 디자인 (그림 & 폰트)을 기부했고, South Pasadena의 Ellen’s 공장에서 티셔츠를 만들고, 남가주의 갓피플 교회의 주도 하에 저희 베델교회와 FCC, 그리고 스몰 비즈니스 (16곳)에게 티셔츠를 무상으로 지원하게 됩니다.

교회와 업체는 방문하는 이웃과 고객들에게 티셔츠를 무료로 나눠줍니다. 그리고 티셔츠를 나누어주며 사람들에게서 기도 제목이나 개인 이야기를 받아, Pray Board에 붙이고 그들을 위해 기도하거나, 이웃을 돌보도록 지원하고 도와줍니다.

그림 작가인 니카는 2021년 Pray Tree 에도 디자인 (해녀리나 [해녀+발레리나])을 기부했는데요, 러시아 출신이지만 제주도에 살며 해녀들의 삶을 비롯한 한국인의 삶과 문화에 관심을 갖고 그들의 이야기를 동화로 펴내는 일을 하고 있습니다.

2022 Pray Tree: First Christian of Noblesville and Bethel Christian have a joint congregational Project.

We invite church members to write down the names of the person they want to pray for on a post-it note, then attach the post-it note to the “Pray Tree” foam board display in the Narthex. Then, they take the t-shirt and give it to the person

on the post-it note as a gift, and a reminder that they are praying for them. T-shirts are free.

For this project, illustrator Nika Tchiakovskaya donated her design (graphics and fonts). The t-shirt design is from a picture book, The Blueberry Man (story by Christina E. Petrides and illustrated by Nika Tchiakovskaya).

The book, Blueberry Man, tells the real story of the writer Christina. She remembers her grandfather, who served in the Navy during World War II. After the war, the grandfather tried to heal the war’s trauma and pain by raising blueberries. He said he would not sell blueberries but only give them to his family. In fact, all his neighbors and friends were his family. Every year, he gave to everyone who wanted blueberries, and his family was getting bigger and bigger. And by raising and providing blueberries, he gave joy to the people around him and healed his pain and wound from the war.

Nika, a Russian author and illustrator, and Christina, an author from Georgia, US, are living on Jeju Island, which is located off the southern coast of the Korean mainland.